Wetland wildlife watching

The male wood duck, known for its spectacular plumage, stands out in sunlight. Wood ducks prefer quieter waters and use cavities excavated by other birds to nest in; flooded woodlands of a beaver pond usually offer lots of dead trees for cavity nesters.

If you have visited a lake, swamp or other wetland lately, you have probably heard the arrival of spring in the form of spring peepers, pickerel frogs, or maybe the honking of Canada geese. If you look closer, you might see some painted turtles basking on a log or some red-spotted newts swimming by the shore. Soon, other amphibians such as green frogs and American toads will add to the chorus of wetland habitats.

The numerous lake and wetland habitats in our region offer some varied wildlife viewing; what may not be at a lake may be present in a marsh habitat. Transient migratory and resident birds abound as well. The images in this column were all taken during a two-hour visit to a beaver pond in Pike County last week.